IC 814 Teaser: Vijay Varma-Naseeruddin Shah Lead The Kandahar Hijack Story In Anubhav Sinha’s Netflix Show

IC 814 Teaser: Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha is making his OTT debut with the upcoming Netflix series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. Premiering on August 29, the series is a gripping thriller based on the 1999 hijacking of an Indian aircraft by Pakistani militants. The teaser showcases an ensemble cast, including Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, and Dia Mirza. It is set to stream on Netflix August 29 onwards.

The teaser opens with Indian passengers boarding a flight at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, heading to Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. As Vijay Varma, portraying pilot Sharan Dev, instructs the passengers to sit back and relax, the scene takes a dramatic turn. Five masked militants hijack the plane, threatening the pilot and assaulting the crew, creating a harrowing situation onboard.

It further reveals that this hijacking is not merely a crisis but a pivotal moment for the nation. Indian officials, portrayed by Pankaj Kapur, Dia Mirza, Manoj Pahwa, and Naseeruddin Shah, are shown mobilising in New Delhi. The stakes are raised as the hijacked plane is diverted to Kandahar, Afghanistan, which was then under Taliban control, putting the passengers in grave danger.

Dropping the teaser, Netflix wrote, “188 onboard, and the entire nation held at gunpoint. Based on true events – IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, a limited series, arrives on August 29, only on Netflix. #IC814OnNetflix.” The show also stars Kumud Mishra, Arvind Swamy, Amrita Puri, Dia Mirza, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Patralekha, Pooja Gor, Anupam Tripathi, Kanwaljit Singh, Aditya Srivastava, Sushant Singh, and Yashpal Sharma.

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What’s ‘The Kandahar Hijack’

In reality, on December 24, 1999, the hijackers held the 176 passengers of IC-814 captive for seven days. The flight, originally departing from Kathmandu and en route to Delhi, was diverted to Kandahar, Afghanistan, after being hijacked. Reports indicated that the operation had backing from Pakistan’s military intelligence agency, ISI.

The plane was held captive for seven days, flying from Kathmandu to Amritsar, then to Lahore for refueling, and on to Dubai before reaching Taliban-controlled Kandahar, where the hostages were eventually freed on December 31, 1999. A notable outcome of this crisis was the Indian government’s decision to release notorious terrorists in exchange for the hostages’ safe return.

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